Smart headset and method of routing service in response to proximity to mobile device

ABSTRACT

A smart headset communicates through the cellular transceiver with a cellular network when the smart headset in a first mode and communicates through a Bluetooth transceiver with a smart handset when the smart headset is in a second mode. A controller of the smart headset is configured to place the smart headset in the first mode when the smart handset is determined to be farther than a maximum proximity from the smart headset and configured to place the headset in the second mode when the smart handset is determined to be within the maximum proximity to the smart headset.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims priority to Provisional Application No.62/149,154 entitled “Service Routing With Device Manager,” docket numberTPRO 00267 US, filed Apr. 17, 2015, and to Provisional Application No.62/187,980 entitled “Proximity Detection Based on UE Mode SwitchSignaling,” docket number TPRO 00265 US, filed Jul. 2, 2015, which areassigned to the assignee hereof and hereby expressly incorporated byreference in its entirety.

REFERENCE TO CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS FOR PATENT

The present application relates to PCT Application, entitled “DEVICEMANAGER FOR SERVICE ROUTING,” Reference Number TUTL 00267 PC, filedconcurrently with this application, and assigned to the assignee hereofand expressly incorporated by reference herein.

FIELD

This invention generally relates to wireless communications and moreparticularly to a smart headset and service routing based on a proximityto a mobile device.

BACKGROUND

A user of communication devices may have access to multiple devices thatcan deliver the same service or application. It is also possible for theparticular service to be routed through different paths through acommunication system including multiple wireless technologies. Forexample, a user may own a cellular communication device capable ofproviding voice communication through a cellular network and may alsohave a telephone handset capable of establishing voice communicationthrough a packet network such as the Internet.

SUMMARY

A smart headset communicates through the cellular transceiver with acellular network when the smart headset in a first mode and communicatesthrough a Bluetooth transceiver with a smart handset when the smartheadset is in a second mode. A controller of the smart headset isconfigured to place the smart headset in the first mode when the smarthandset is determined to be farther than a maximum proximity from thesmart headset and configured to place the headset in the second modewhen the smart handset is determined to be within the maximum proximityto the smart headset.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system including a devicemanager that is configured to reroute communication for an activeapplication on a first user device to a second user device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the communication system where the devicemanager 100 is implemented within, and distributed over, the devices.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example where the active application isa voice call on a cellular network that is rerouting from a cellulardevice to a smart TV.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the system for an example where the activeapplication is a voice call on a cellular network that is rerouted froma cellular smart headset device to a multimode device (Wi-Fi-cellularhandset).

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the system for an example where the firstdevice and the second device access the network through the same eNB ofa cellular network.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of the system for an example where the firstdevice and the second device access the network through different eNBsof a cellular network.

FIG. 7 is a message diagram for an example with device paging where thedevice manager is connected within or to the network and the devices arecommunicating with the network through the cellular network.

FIG. 8 is a message diagram for an example without device paging wherethe device manager is connected within or to the network and the devicesare communicating with the network through the cellular network.

FIG. 9 is a message diagram for an example where the device manager isimplemented as local device managers within the devices.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example of smart headset suitable foruse as the smart headset of FIG. 4 and FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a message diagram for an example when the smart headset is inMode 1.

FIG. 12 is a message diagram for an example when the smart headset is inMode 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In certain situations, it may be useful or beneficial to switch serviceof a currently active application from a one user device to another userdevice. In addition to changing the device that the user utilizes toaccess the application, the communication path for the application ischanged from a first communication path to the first user device to asecond communication path to the second user device where the twocommunication paths use at least some communication systeminfrastructure that is different. For example, when arriving home, auser may want to transfer a currently active voice call on a cellularhandset to a smart TV and continue the call through the smart TV. Sincethe smart TV is likely connected to the network through an Internetconnection provided by electrical or fiber optic cable, migrating(transferring) the active call requires establishing a connection link(path) to the voice call application server from the smart TV throughthe cable connection and disconnecting the call from the cellularhandset through the cellular network. In accordance with the techniquesdiscussed below, a device manager manages service routing betweendevices efficiently and intelligently based on changes in proximitybetween user devices associated with a defined device group. In additionto the proximity changes, the device manager may evaluate anycombination of other factors, circumstances, settings (such as userpreferences), signal quality, communication path quality/capabilities,application type, number and types of devices associated with the user,and dynamic user input. As discussed below, the device manager may beimplemented within an entity on the network such as server, implementedwithin and distributed over user devices, or implemented within bothdevices and a network entity. Although the device manager can beimplemented in any network layer, the device manager is implementedwithin the application layer for the examples discussed herein.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a communication system 10 including adevice manager 100 that is configured to reroute communication for anactive application on a first user device 102 to a second user device104. The devices 102, 104 are associated with each other in some way.For the example, the devices 102, 104 belong to, and are accessible by,the same user. The devices 102, 104, therefore, are within a defineduser group. Each device has the hardware and code to enable running anapplication 106 that accesses an application server 108 through acommunication network 110. The communication network 110 may include anycombination of hardware, firmware, and backhaul that facilitatescommunication between the devices 102, 104 and the application server108. For the example, the communication network 110 includes at leastthe Internet 112, infrastructure for enabling a first communication path114 from the first device 102 to the application server 108 andinfrastructure for a second communication path 116 from the seconddevice 104 to the application server 108. As explained below, theinfrastructure may include any combination of wired and wirelessnetworks and systems. The communication network, therefore, may includeseveral networks such as virtual private networks (VPNs), cellularnetworks, Local Area Networks (LANs), Wireless LANs (WLANs), Internetnetworks, Wi-Fi networks and other communication networks. In somesituations, the same network infrastructure may be used for the twocommunication paths, 114, 116. Such a situation occurs, for example,where the two devices access the network through the same eNB of acellular communication network.

The device manager 100 is illustrated with a dashed box to indicate thatthe device manager 100 may be implemented within and distributed overthe devices 102, 104 or may be implemented within an entity connected toor within the network 110. Examples of distributed and networkimplementations are discussed below. The device manager 100 includes anycombination of hardware, software and/or firmware that facilitate thefunctions described herein. For the examples, the device manager 100 hasaccess to information regarding the devices associated within a group,the quality of communication links, any user preferences and any otherfactors, characteristics, or circumstances necessary for the devicemanager to make the particular routing decisions. The device manageralso can be remotely controller using one of the devices to activate aservice on any other device or to override an activation of anapplication on a particular device. For example, if a voice call wouldotherwise be transferred from a handset to a smart TV based onconditions perceived by the device manager, the user may stop thetransfer to keep the call on the handset. The device manager storesinformation about each device as well as user preferences in order tocategorize the devices and make intelligent decisions regarding servicerouting. For example, if the user prefers not to have certain calls tobe transferred from a handset to the smart TV, the user may providepreferences regarding how the smart TV responds to a call page.Depending on the particular implementation, the preferences may rangefrom general rules to specific conditions based on several factors orconditions. For example, preferences can be set for all calls or forparticular incoming calls from designated numbers, during particulartimes of day, and whether other persons are present at the location.These configurations are saved in the device manager 100.

Each device includes at least a controller 118, 120 with a memory and acommunication interface 122, 124. At least one of the devices involvedin a rerouting procedure also includes a proximity detection component126, 128. For the example of FIG. 1, the first device (Device 1) and thesecond device (Device 2) each include a controller 118, 120, acommunication interface 122, 124 and a proximity detection component126, 128. The controllers include any combination of hardware, software,and/or firmware for executing the functions described herein as well asfacilitating the overall functionality of the respective device. Anexample of a suitable controller includes code running on amicroprocessor.

Each communication interface 122, 124 includes a combination ofhardware, software, and/or firmware that enables communication using atleast one communication technology. A communication interface 122, 124,however, may be capable of communicating with multiple communicationtechnologies and formats. A communication interface, therefore, mayinclude any number of transmitters, receivers, and wired communicationinterfaces. Examples of communication interfaces include cellulartransceivers, Wi-Fi transceivers, Bluetooth transceivers, and Local AreaNetwork (LAN) transceivers (e.g., Ethernet interface).

The proximity detection component 126, 128 is any combination ofelectronics, detection devices, and/or sensing devices that provideinformation allowing the controller to identify a change in proximitybetween the device and at least one other device. For the examplesherein, the proximity detection component 126, 128 may include anynumber of user identification sensing devices, proximity evaluationdevices, and/or location determination devices. Examples of useridentification sensing devices include facial recognition sensors,retinal recognition devices, speech recognition devices finger printrecognition devices, and other biometric evaluation devices. The useridentification sensing device may also include a keyboard, or other userinterface, that allows the user to enter a passcode or other uniqueinformation allowing the controller to identify the user. Examples ofproximity evaluation devices include radio receivers capable ofreceiving or detecting signals such as cellular, WLAN, Wi-Fi, RFID, NFC,Bluetooth, and Zig-bee signals. Detection of cellular signals may beperformed by detecting uplink cellular signals transmitted by anotherdevice. As discussed below, the detection of cellular signals may be thedetection of device-to-device (D2D) signals. For one example, thedetection includes the detection of D2D discovery signals. The proximitydetection component may be capable of detecting several different typesof signals in some circumstances. Examples of location determinationdevices include devices that use GPS, cellular and WLAN locationservices. The proximity detection component, therefore, includes one ormore user identification sensing devices, proximity evaluation devices,and/or location determination devices that obtain information used bythe controller to determine that a change in proximity to one more otherdevices has occurred.

The detected change in proximity may be a determination that anotherdevice has come closer to the device or it may be a determination thatanother device has moved farther away. Also, the change in proximity maybe determined directly from information provided by the proximitydetection component or may be inferred or indirectly determined. Forexample, where the proximity detection component includes a GPS module,the determination that the user has arrived at particular location, suchthe user's residence, may be evaluated to determine that the user thefirst device carried by the user has come closer to a second devicewithin the residence. In another example of indirect proximity changedetermination, the proximity detection component within a fixed deviceat a particular location includes a user identification sensor, such asretinal scanner, that identifies the presence of the user at theparticular location. In response to the identification of the user atthe location facilitating, the controller determines that a mobiledevice typically carried by the user has come closer to the fixed deviceat the location. Such a situation may occur where the fixed device is asmart TV with a retinal scanner at the user's residence and the mobiledevice is a cellular handset.

The proximity change determination may be based on directdetection/sensing of other devices. In some situations, a change inproximity may be based on a combination of direct detection and indirectdetection. Some examples of direct sensing techniques include detectinga change in proximity to another device based on the signal strengthand/or signal quality of radio signals transmitted by the device.Examples of suitable radio signals that can be monitored includecellular, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, RFID, NFC, and Zig-bee signals. In additionto evaluating characteristics of the signals, the proximity detectioncomponent may detect the content transmitted within a radio signal todetermine a change in proximity. For example, if a particular devicetransmits unique content that is associated with the device, otherdevices may receive the signal, decode the content and determine thatthe transmitting device is near.

The various functions and operations of the blocks described withreference to devices 102, 104 in FIG. 1 may be implemented in any numberof devices, circuits, or elements. Two or more of the functional blocksmay be integrated in a single device, and the functions described asperformed in any single device may be implemented over several devices.For example, a receiver in the communication interface may be used aspart of the proximity detection component.

The various functions and operations of the blocks described withreference to devices network entities and in FIG. 1 may be implementedin any number of entities, servers, devices, circuits, or elements. Twoor more of the functional blocks may be integrated in a single device,and the functions described as performed in any single device may beimplemented over several devices. For example, the device manager andthe application may be implemented with the same network entity.

In the example of FIG. 1, the first device 102 is running an application106 that requires a connection to the application server 108. Theconnection is a communication path 114 through infrastructure andnetwork components within the communication network 110. For example,the first device 102 may be running a voice application where a call isestablished with a voice application server through cellularcommunication infrastructure such as a base station connected within acellular network. The first device 102 detects that the proximity to thesecond device has changed. For example, the proximity detectioncomponent 126 may detect a Bluetooth signal transmitted by the seconddevice 104 resulting in the controller 118 determining that the seconddevice 104 is near the first device 102. Information regarding thechange in proximity is provided to the device manager 100. The devicemanager 100 evaluates the change in proximity as well as otherinformation related to the devices, connections, user preferences,configurations, and any other predetermined criteria for determiningwhether the application should be migrated (transferred) from the firstdevice 102 to the second device 104. Based on the criteria andinformation available to the device manager 100, the device manager 100determines that the application should be transferred to the seconddevice 104. For example, the second device 104 may be a home telephoneconnected to an internet protocol (IP) packet network where the devicemanger 100 determines that the currently active voice call on the firstdevice (cellular handset) 102 should be transferred to the hometelephone. The determination may be based on criteria such as the user'spreference to use the home telephone over the cellular handset when theuser is home and the connection quality to the application serverthrough the network. Based on the evaluation of the criteria andconditions, the device manager 100 determines that the call should betransferred and initiates the transfer by notifying the networkcurrently handling the active call for the first device or by steeringthe voice call to the second device. In one scenario, paging and callestablishment messages are exchanged between the devices and networks inaccordance with the requirements of the particular networks involved. Asa result, the active application is transferred (migrated) from thefirst device 102 and the first communication path 114 to the seconddevice 104 and the second communication path 116. The applicationcontinues on the second device.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the communication system 10 where thedevice manager 100 is implemented within, and distributed over, thedevices 102, 104. For the example, a local device manager 202, 204 isrunning on each of the devices 102, 104. The device manger 100 in theexample of FIG. 2 is formed by the local device managers 202, 204. Asuitable implementation of a local device manager includes runningsoftware and/or firmware on the controller of the device. The devicemanager 100, therefore, is an entity installed in all the devices withina group by installing a local device manager on each device of thegroup. For the examples herein, only devices within a group can haveservices routed from one device to another. An example of a device groupis a group consisting of all the devices belonging to the same user.Each local device manager 202, 204 carries a list of all the otherdevices in the group. When a device registers into the device manager asa “partner device” then all the partner devices get an updated list withthe addition of the new device. The device which is currently runningthe application is assigned as the master for that particularapplication. As a result, one device (one local device manager) may bethe master of one application and another device (another local devicemanager) may be the master of another application. Each master localdevice manager informs other devices that it is currently the master ofa particular application. The master device determines what other localmaster device will take over the application as master when theapplication is transferred to another device and service is rerouted.When the first device releases control of the application to the seconddevice, the first device is no longer the master of the application.

All device managers within a group ping each other to ensure there is noradio link failure (RLF). For example, a ping may be initiated by onedevice by sending a pre-configured or pre-defined sequence to otherdevices within the group and upon reception of the sequence, an ACK issent. A device preferably only sends the pre-configured or pre-definedsequence if it is still connected to the network and the ACK should onlybe sent if the responding device is also still connected to the network.The rate of pinging may depend on the type of application being used andis configurable. The rate of pinging may also depend on the type ofapplication being used. The pinging may be routed through the network toensure network connectivity. Alternatively, a first device may also pinga second device directly. For example, where two user equipment devices(UE devices) are operating in a system that supports Device-to Device(D2D) communication, one device may ping the other device using D2Dcommunication and/or D2D Discovery. In such a scenario, for the examplesherein, the second UE device informs the first UE device whether it isstill connected to the network. If there is an RLF, one of the devicemanagers volunteers to take over control and requests the applicationserver to reroute the traffic towards the new device or the local devicemanager associated with the new device. As a result, the new devicebecomes the master for the associated application. If multiple devicessimultaneously request to be the master of the application, the localdevice managers may randomly select a master using pre-defined protocolor the application server 108 may select the master. Subsequently, themaster of this application should inform the other devices within thegroup of the change. The RLF may additionally or alternatively, betracked by the network where the network is aware of devices that haveexperienced RLF. The network may send the RLF information to the devicemanager in some circumstances.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of an example where the active application isa voice call 300 on a cellular network 302 that is rerouted from acellular device 304 to a smart TV 306. For the example of FIG. 3, a useris on an active call 300 with a cellular device (e.g. smart phone) thatis accessing the cellular network 302 when a smart TV 306 determinesthat a change in proximity has occurred. The determination may be basedon a detection of the user or detection of the cellular device 304. Forexample, the smart TV 306 may include a biometric reader that canidentify the user and allow the smart TV 306 to determine that the useris near the smart TV 306. In other situations, the smart TV may detect asignal from the cellular device 304 and determine that the cellulardevice 304 is near. Therefore, as discussed above, the proximitydetection component 126 determines that the cellular device 304 is nearthe smart TV 306. In response to the proximity change, the devicemanager 100 evaluates the current situation in accordance with theprogrammed criteria and preferences and reroutes the active call ifwarranted. The situation described with reference to FIG. 3, therefore,is an example of the system in FIG. 1 where the cellular device 302 isthe first device 102 and the smart TV 304 is the second device 104.

The cellular device 304 communicates with an eNB 308 or base station tofacilitate the cellular call that includes a communication path throughthe eNB 308, the cellular network 302, and the Internet 112 to a voicecall server 310. Accordingly, the voice call server 310 is an example ofthe application server 108 of FIG. 1. The smart TV 306 is connected tothe network 110 through a Wi-Fi access point 312 and a cable providernetwork 314. The cable provider network 314 is connected to the Internet112 and, therefore, provides Internet access to the smart TV. Since thedevice manager 100 is connected to the Internet, the smart TV 306 cancommunicate with the device manager 100.

While the voice call 300 is active, the smart TV 306 detects a change inproximity between the cellular device 304 and the smart TV 306. Thesmart TV 306, for example, may detect the user has come home based on aretinal scan. At event 316, therefore, the smart TV 306 determines thatthe cellular device 304 is within a maximum proximity of the smart TV306. In response, the smart TV 306 notifies the device manager 100 thatthe cellular device 304 is nearby at transmission 318. The devicemanager 100 evaluates the current conditions as well as the preferencesand rerouting rules for the particular user and determined if the activecall should be rerouted. In response to determining that the call shouldbe rerouted, the device manager 100 sends a call reroute requesttransmission 320 to the voice call sever 310. In response, the voicecall server 310 in cooperation smart TV, cellular device 306 and thecellular operator network 302, reroutes the active call to the smart TV306. The new communication path for the rerouted call is between thesmart TV 306 and the voice call server 310 and includes the Wi-Fi airinterface between the access point 312 and smart TV 306, the cableprovider network 314 and the Internet.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of the system 10 for an example where theactive application is a voice call 400 on a cellular network 302 that isrerouted from a cellular smart headset device 402 to a multimode device(Wi-Fi-cellular handset) 404. For the example of FIG. 4, a user is on anactive call 400 with a cellular smart headset 402 that is accessing thecellular network 302 when a multimode handset 404 determines that achange in proximity has occurred. The multimode handset 404 is a devicesuch as a cellular user equipment (UE) device that can access Wi-Finetworks and cellular networks. The smart headset 402 is a headset thatcan directly access cellular networks and can also be used as aperipheral headset device that communicates with another device thataccesses a network. Therefore, the smart headset 402 may operate in afirst mode where it is a standalone cellular phone and may operate in asecond mode where it is a wireless (e.g., Bluetooth) headset wirelesslycommunicating with a smartphone, cell phone, multimode device, or otherUE device. An example of a suitable smart headset is discussed withreference to FIG. 10 below. For the example, the multimode handset 404detects a signal transmitted by the smart headset 402 such a Bluetoothsignal and, based on the signal, determines the smart headset 403 is amember of the same user group and is sufficiently close forcommunication with the multimode handset 404. The multimode handset 404sends a transmission 406 to the device manager 100 to notify the devicemanager 100 of the change in proximity to the smart headset 402.

In response to the proximity change, the device manager 100 evaluatesthe current situation in accordance with the programmed criteria andpreferences and reroutes the active call if warranted. The situationdescribed with reference to FIG. 4, therefore, is an example of thesystem in FIG. 1 where the smart headset 402 is the first device 102 andthe multimode device 404 is the second device 104.

The smart headset 402 communicates with an eNB 308 or base station tofacilitate the cellular call that includes a communication path throughthe eNB 308, the cellular network 302, and the Internet 112 to a voicecall server 310. Accordingly, the voice call server 310 is an example ofthe application server 108 of FIG. 1. The multimode device 404 isconnected to the network 110 through a Wi-Fi access point 312 and acable provider network 314. The cable provider network 314 is connectedto the Internet 112 and, therefore, provides Internet access to themultimode device 404. Since the device manager 100 is connected to theInternet, the multimode device 404 can communicate with the devicemanager 100.

While the voice call 300 is active, the multimode device 404 detects achange in proximity between the smart headset 402 and the multimodedevice 404. The multimode device 404, for example, may detect a wirelesssignal transmitted by the smart headset. At event 406, therefore, themultimode device 404 determines that the smart headset 402 is inproximity of the multimode device 404. In response, the multimode device404 notifies the device manager 100 that the smart headset 402 is nearbywith the notification transmission 408. At event 410, the device manager100 evaluates the current conditions as well as the preferences andrerouting rules for the particular user and determines whether theactive call should be rerouted. In response to determining that the callshould be rerouted, the device manager 100 sends a call reroute requesttransmission 412 to the voice call sever 310. In response, the voicecall server 310 in cooperation multimode device, smart headset, and thecellular operator network 302, reroutes the active call to the multimodedevice 404 at event 414. The new communication path for the reroutedcall is between the multimode device 404 and the voice call server 310and includes the Wi-Fi air interface between the access point 312 andmultimode device 404, the cable provider network 314 and the Internet112.

The example of FIG. 4 is just one of numerous scenarios where a devicemanager transfers service to another device in a group during an activecall or application session. The scenario of FIG. 4 may occur where theuser is outside their residence on an active cellular call using thesmart headset. The multimode device 404 is located at the residence andwhen the user returns home during an active call, the call is reroutedto the multimode device 404. The user can continue to use the headset asa peripheral device to the multimode handset 404. In some situations,the transfer is completely transparent while in other situations, theuser may override the transfer to keep the call on the cellular smartheadset. Another scenario including a smart handset and UE device mayinclude rerouting the active call from the UE device to the UE headsetwhen the headset has moved too far away from the UE device.

Although the device manager 100 is illustrated outside of the cellularcommunication network 302 in FIG. 4, the device manager 100 may be partof the cellular network in some situations. As a result, the devicemanager 100 may be integrated with the and control functions of thenetwork and may be accessed using cellular network protocols.

In some situations, rules or preferences may be applied in determiningwhether the network is informed of a proximity change. For example, thesmart handset may not notify the network of a detected proximity changewhen a battery power level is below a threshold. When the battery is atlow power, it may be preferred that service is not transferred to thesmart handset but remain with the smart headset.

In another example, the smart headset and the smart handset may beconfigured such that the smart headset is responsible for notifying thenetwork of a proximity change. Such a configuration may be useful toavoid transition of service from the smart headset to the smart handsetwhen the user does not have the smart handset in hand.

Although the example of FIG. 4 includes the transfer of an active call,transitions for service from one device to another may be limited toonly when there are no active calls. Therefore, the techniques discussedherein may be applied to assign an a currently inactive application fromone device to another device for the next active session.

FIG. 5 is block diagram of the system for an example where the firstdevice and 102 the second device 104 access the network 110 through thesame eNB 308 of a cellular network 302. For the example of FIG. 5,service is rerouted from the first device 102 to the second device 104through the same eNB 308 in response to a change in proximity of thefirst device 102 to the second device 104.

FIG. 6 is block diagram of the system for an example where the firstdevice 102 and the second device 104 access the network 110 through thedifferent eNBs 602, 204 of a cellular network 302. For the example ofFIG. 6, the first device 102 communicates through the cellular network302 through a first eNB 602 and the second device communicates throughthe cellular network through the second eNB 604. Service is reroutedfrom the first device 102 to the second device 104 through the differenteNBs in response to a change in proximity of the first device 102 to thesecond device 104. The eNBs 602, 604 may be part of the same providernetwork or may be connected to different provider networks. Accordingly,the cellular operating network may include multiple operators in somesituations.

Whether the devices are serviced by the same eNB as in FIG. 5 or ifserviced by different eNBs as in FIG. 6, the transfer of servicegenerally includes proximity detection, proximity notification, RLFevaluation, device manager evaluation, and transfer of service. In somemore specific examples of where both devices are D2D devices connectedto an LTE network, the proximity notification may be performed after thedevices have discovered each other and have established communication ormay occur during the discovery process. In some circumstances, forexample, the D2D devices have received discovery signals and haveexchanged information confirming that the device to which service willbe transferred has a suitable network connection. The devicescommunicate over D2D channels and, after the network connectionconfirmation (RLF evaluation), one of the device sends the proximitynotification to the device manager to initiate the transfer.

In another example, the proximity notification is transmitted inresponse to receiving a D2D discovery signal from the other D2D device.In some circumstances, one D2D device voluntarily transmits D2Ddiscovery signals and, in response to receiving a response from anotherD2D device, sends the proximity notification to the device manager. Insuch a situation, the response to receipt of the D2D discovery signalcan be considered the proximity detection.

In some situations, a D2D device sends a request to another D2D deviceto takes over an application. Alternatively, one D2D device mayvolunteer to take over an application from another device and send amessage requesting transfer of the application. For the examples herein,however, the final decision is made at the network in both cases.

FIG. 7 is a message diagram for an example with device paging where thedevice manager 100 is connected within or to the network and the devices102, 104 are communicating with a network 110 through the cellularnetwork 302. The first device 102 and the second device 104 arecommunicating with the cellular network 302 and may be accessing thecellular network 302 through the same eNB 308 or different eNBs 602,604. In situations where the devices are communicating with a singleeNB, the messaging can be directed to/from the eNB which facilitates thererouting of communication from the first device 102 to the seconddevice 104. Where each device accesses the cellular network 302 througha different eNB 602, 604, the messaging is directed to the network whichfacilitates the rerouting of the communication from the first devicethrough the first eNB to the second device through the second eNB. As aresult, the eNB and cellular network are represented by a single blocklabeled “ENB/NW” 702. For the example of FIG. 7, the cellular networkoperates in accordance with at least one revision of theThird-Generation Partnership Project Long-Term Evolution (3GPP LTE)communication specification.

At event 704, at least one application is active on the first device 102using the cellular network 702. Depending on the particularcircumstances, there may be more than one active application on thefirst device 102. For the examples herein, service is rerouted andtransferred to the second device for a single device and any otheractive application remains with the current serving device. In somesituations, more than one application may be transferred. Also, noactive applications are running on the second device for the examples.In some situations, the second device may have one or more runningapplications. These applications may be transferred to the first deviceunder some circumstances when the application running on the firstdevice is transferred to the second device.

At event 706, the second device is in the RRC_IDLE mode in accordancewith the 3GPP LTE communication specification. In this mode and inaccordance with LTE specifications, the UE device can receive broadcastor multi-cast data, monitors a paging channel to detect incoming calls,performs neighbor cell measurements and does cell selection as well asreselection and acquires system information.

At event 708, a change in proximity of the first device 102 to thesecond device 104 is detected. For the example, the first device 102detects that the second device 104 has moved closer to the first device102 and is within a maximum threshold proximity. In some situations, thedetection of a change in proximity may be a detection that the deviceshave moved farther apart (e.g., a device can no longer be detected).Also, the second device may detect the change in proximity in somecircumstances.

At transmission 710, the first device notifies the device manager of thedetected change in proximity. For the example, a notification message issent through the Internet. As discussed herein, the device manager mayreside in the network or in the devices. As a result, the sending of anotification message is a logical representation in situations where thedevice manager is implemented within the devices.

At event 712, the device manager 100 determines whether there is a needto transmit the active application from the first device to the seconddevice. The device manager 100 applies the rules, preferences, andinformation regarding the current conditions and circumstances todetermine if the service should be rerouted to the second device. Forthe example of FIG. 7, the device manager 100 determines that theservice should be transferred.

At transmission 714, the device manger sends a request to the cellularnetwork 702 for the cellular network to connect to the second device.Depending on the specific application that is to be transferred, therequest may be in the form of SIP signaling so that the specificapplication is transparent to the network and the SIP signaling triggersthe network to page the second device.

At transmission 716, the cellular network 702 sends a paging message tothe second device to initiate communication. For the example, the pagingmessage is sent in accordance with at least one revision of the 3GPP LTEcommunication specification.

At transmission 718, the second device initiates connectionestablishment by sending information to the cellular network. Theparticular mechanism for sending the information may depend on theparticular network. For example, connection establishment with an LTEnetwork typically involves the need for a random access procedure for UEdevices when in the Idle mode. This is necessary for resolvingcontention resolution, uplink timing alignment, resource allocation,security mode activation, and the cause for connection establishment.

At transmission 720, the cellular network 702, establishes the EPSbearer channels if not already established.

After the appropriate communication channels are established between thecellular network and the second device, the device manager 100 steersthe application to the second device. An example of a suitable techniqueof steering the application includes defining elements within the headerin addition to the conventional header of the IP packets used for theapplication. For such an example, three elements in the additionalheader are defined to represent the application identifier, a groupidentifier, and a device identifier. The header, therefore, includes anapplication ID, group ID, device ID. By relying on the conventionalpacket gateway (P-GW) for steering and rerouting of the IP packet, onlythe application layer within the device manager 100 and the devices 102,104 needs to track and be aware of the additional header. For theexamples herein, an application control layer is used by the devicemanager to inform the device to which the service has been transferredthat the device is now the new master of the particular application thathas been transferred. The application control layer is also used toinform the device from which service was transferred that it is nolonger the master of the application. At event 724, the applicationcontinues on the second device.

FIG. 8 is a message diagram for an example without device paging wherethe device manager 100 is connected within or to the network and thedevices 102, 104 are communicating with the network 110 through thecellular network 302 (702). The first device and the second device arecommunicating with the cellular network and may be accessing thecellular network through the same eNB 308 or different eNBs 602, 604. Insituations where the devices are communicating with a single eNB, themessaging can be directed to/from the eNB which facilitates thererouting of communication from the first device to the second device.Where each device accesses the cellular network through a different eNB,the messaging is directed to the network which facilitates the reroutingof the communication from the first device through the first eNB to thesecond device through the second eNB. As a result, the eNB and cellularnetwork are represented by a single block labeled “ENB/NW” 702. For theexample of FIG. 8, the cellular network operates in accordance with atleast one revision of the 3GPP LTE communication specification.

At event 802, at least one application is active on the first deviceusing the cellular network 702. Depending on the particularcircumstances, there may be more than one active application on thefirst device 102. For the examples herein, service is rerouted andtransferred to the second device for a single device and any otheractive application remains with the current serving device. In somesituations, more than one application may be transferred. Also, noactive applications are running on the second device for the examples.In some situations, the second device may have one or more runningapplications. These applications may be transferred to the first deviceunder some circumstances when the application running on the firstdevice is transferred to the second device.

At event 804, the second device is in RRC_IDLE mode. In this mode and inaccordance with LTE specifications, the UE device can receive broadcastor multi-cast data, monitors a paging channel to detect incoming calls,performs neighbor cell measurements and does cell selection as well asreselection and acquires system information.

At event 806, a change in proximity of the first device to the seconddevice is detected. For the example, the second device detects that thefirst device has moved closer to the second device and is within amaximum threshold proximity. In some situations, the detection of achange in proximity may be a detection that the devices have movedfarther apart. Also, the first device may detect the change in somecircumstances.

At transmission 808, the second device initiates connectionestablishment by transmitting a message to the cellular network 702. Theinitiation is in response to the change proximity.

At transmission 810, the cellular network 702 and the second deviceestablish the EPS bearer channels if not already established.

At transmission 812, the second device notifies the device manager 100of the detected change in proximity. For the example, a notificationmessage is sent through the Internet.

At event 814, the device manager 100 determines whether there is a needto transmit the active application from the first device to the seconddevice. The device manager 100 applies the rules, preferences, andinformation regarding the current conditions and circumstances todetermine if the service should be rerouted to the second device. Forthe example of FIG. 8, the device manager 100 determines that theservice should be transferred.

The device manager 100 steers the application to the second device attransmission 816. An example of a suitable technique of steering theapplication includes defining elements within the header in addition tothe conventional header of the IP packets used for the application. Forsuch an example, three elements in the additional header are defined torepresent the application identifier, a group identifier, and a deviceidentifier. By relying on the conventional packet gateway (P-GW) forsteering and rerouting of the IP packet, only the application layerwithin the device manager 100 and the devices 102, 104 needs to trackand be aware of the additional header. For the examples herein, anapplication control layer is used by the device manager to inform thedevice to which the service has been transferred that that device is nowthe new master of the of the particular application that has beentransferred. The application control layer is also used to inform thedevice from which service was transferred that it is no longer themaster of the application. At event 818, the application continues onthe second device.

FIG. 9 is a message diagram for an example where the device manager 100is implemented as local device managers 202, 204 within the devices 102,104.

At event 902, communications are exchanged between the first device andthe application server 108 to facilitate two active applications (App 1and App 2).

At event 904, the first device is the master of both applications.Accordingly, the local device manager 202 is the master of the activeapplications.

At event 906, a change in proximity of the first device to the seconddevice is detected. For the example, the first device detects that thesecond device has moved closer to the first device and is within amaximum threshold proximity. In some situations, the detection of achange in proximity may be a detection that the devices have movedfarther apart. Also, the second device may detect the change in somecircumstances.

At transmission 908, the first device pings the second device to confirmthat the second device has a connection to the network. As describedabove, the ping provides a mechanism for confirming connection status tothe network. In some situations, one device may broadcast it's linkstatus in the discovery message. In other circumstances, the devicesconfirm each other's link-quality with the network during the proximitydetection exchange protocol.

At transmission 910, the first device informs the application server 108that one of the applications (APP 1) should be rerouted to the seconddevice. The application control layer is also used to inform the devicefrom which service was transferred that it is no longer the master ofthe application. However, in this case it's the device that informs theapplication control layer of the request to release its function as themaster. In some situations, a subset of applications (Apps) isassociated with the first device (device 1) and another subset isassociated with the second device (device 2), and so on. In otherimplementations, each App is associated with each device and thepriority of each device for each app is listed at the device manager.Table 1 provides illustrates such an example.

TABLE 1 Device-1 Device-2 App1 Master Slave App2 Slave Master App3Master Slave

At event 912, the application server 108 reroutes the application to thesecond device.

At event 914, the second device becomes the master of the application(APP 1). For the examples herein, the control information used forrerouting the service is used to assign the second device as the master.In some circumstances, a confirmation message is sent by the seconddevice indicating that it is accepting the role as the master.

At event 916, other applications that have not been rerouted (APP 2)continue to communication link with the first device with the firstdevice as the master.

At event 918, the one or both of the devices pings the other device toconfirm that each device has a connection to the network.

FIG. 10 is a block diagram of an example of smart headset 1000 suitablefor use as the smart headset of FIG. 4 and FIG. 9. The smart headset1000 may also be used as one of the devices in other examples discussedherein. FIG. 10 shows the smart headset 1000 and a smart handset 1002each having a local device manager 292, 204. The local device managersare illustrated with dashed line blocks to indicate that in somesituations, one or both of the local device managers can be omitted.

The smart headset 1000 includes a speaker 1006, a microphone 1008, aspeech processor accelerator 1010, a controller 1012, a Bluetoothtransceiver 1014, a cellular transceiver 1016 and a batter power supply1018. The speech processor accelerator 1010 preforms speech to text andtext to speech conversion as well as other audio processor functions.The Bluetooth transceiver communicates with other devices such as thesmart handset 1002 using Bluetooth techniques and signaling. TheBluetooth transceiver may also operate as a proximity detection deviceby detecting Bluetooth signals transmitted by other devices within theuser group such as the smart headset. The cellular transceiver 1016communicates with eNBs and, in some circumstances, other handsets usingcellular communication techniques and signaling. For the example, thecellular transceiver operates in accordance with at least one revisionof the 3GPP LTE communication specification. The controller 1012facilitates the functions of the smart headset as described herein aswell as facilitating the overall operation of the smart headset. Thebattery power supply 1018 supplies the power to the components of thesmart headset.

The smart headset operates in at least two modes. In a first mode, theheadset is a standalone cellular phone. In the second mode, the smartheadset is a wireless (e.g., Bluetooth) headset wirelessly communicatingwith a smartphone, cell phone, multimode device, or other UE device.During the first mode, the smart headset can support incoming andoutgoing voice calls with an eNB, text to speech for incoming messages,speech to text for outgoing messages, and speech recognition/translationfor web access. In some situations, the smart headset may include aWi-Fi interface for connecting to the network in addition to thecellular interface.

Smart headset and the smart handset may have the same phone number issome implementations. In other implementations, the devices may havedifferent phone numbers.

During operation, a transfer of service may occur in response to eitherthe smart headset or smart handset detecting a proximity change to theother device. In some cases, as discussed above with reference to FIG.4, the cellular network may manage the transmission service betweendevices after being notified of a proximity change. Other networkmanaging examples are discussed below with reference to FIG. 11 and FIG.12.

When the smart handset is detected and is within range, the smartheadset may autonomously connect to the smart handset via Bluetooth ormay be directed to connect to handset. Service for one or moreapplications is transitioned from the headset to the handset.

In some situations, the smart handset 1002 is the master device thatcoordinates the rerouting of service between the smart phone and smartheadset. In one example, all services go directly to the smart handsetfirst and the smart handset forwards the appropriate services such asvoice calls and test messages to the smart headset. In such animplementation, the network acts as forwarding entity.

Therefore, the exemplary smart headset includes the speaker configuredto generate output sounds based on received information received at thesmart headset. The microphone is configured to generate microphonesignals, based on input sounds, to form transmission information fortransmitting from the smart headset. The cellular transceiver isconfigured to wirelessly communicate with the cellular communicationnetwork and the Bluetooth transceiver is configured to wirelesslycommunicate with another device such as the smart handset. Thecontroller is configured to place the smart headset in a selectedoperation mode of at least two modes comprising a first mode and asecond mode. The smart headset communicates through the cellulartransceiver with the cellular network when the smart headset in thefirst mode such that the received information is received from thecellular network through the cellular transceiver and the transmissioninformation is transmitted to the cellular network through the cellulartransceiver. The smart headset communicates through the Bluetoothtransceiver with the smart handset when the smart headset is in thesecond mode such that the received information is received from thesmart handset through the Bluetooth transceiver and the transmissioninformation is transmitted to the smart handset through the Bluetoothtransceiver. The controller is configured to place the headset in thefirst mode when the smart handset is determined to be farther than amaximum proximity from the smart headset and configured to place theheadset in the second mode when the smart handset is determined to bewithin the maximum proximity to the smart headset. In one example, thecontroller determines whether the smart handset is within the maximumproximity based on short-range signals transmitted by the smart handset.Some examples of suitable short-range signals include Bluetooth, andZig-bee signals.

Where the communications include text messages, the speech processoraccelerator is configured to convert received text information of thereceived information to speech forming the output sounds and isconfigured to convert the microphone signals to transmission textinformation forming the transmission information.

FIG. 11 is a message diagram for an example when the smart headset is inmode 1. For the example of FIG. 11, services to the smart handset arerouted via Wi-Fi. In some situations, the services may be routed viaLTE.

At event 1102, pairing is activated. As a result, the smart headset andsmart handset attempt to detects and connect to each other.

At step 1104, neither the headset nor the handset can detect the otherdevice. As a result, the smart headset is in Mode 1 where it can handlesome applications directly with the network.

At transmission 1106, the smart handset informs the network 702 that thehandset and headset are on Mode 1. The smart handset sends anotification message. In some situations, the smart headset notifies thenetwork.

At event 1108, the services for application applicable for the smartheadset in Mode 1 are routed to the smart headset. Accordingly, servicesfor voice calls and text messages that can be handled by the smartheadset are routed to the smart headset.

At event 1110, traffic for other applications that cannot be handled bythe smart headset is routed to the Wii network. The Wi-Fi network thenroutes the traffic to the smart handset.

FIG. 12 is a message diagram for an example when the smart headset is inMode 2.

At event 1202, pairing is activated. As a result, the smart headset andsmart handset attempt to detect and connect to each other.

At step 1204, at least one of the headset or the handset detect theother device. As a result, the smart headset is in Mode 2 where itconnects to the smart handset as a peripheral Bluetooth headset device.

At transmission 1206, the smart handset informs the network 702 that thehandset and headset are in Mode 2.

At event 1208, the services for all applications are routed to the smarthandset.

Clearly, other embodiments and modifications of this invention willoccur readily to those of ordinary skill in the art in view of theseteachings. The above description is illustrative and not restrictive.This invention is to be limited only by the following claims, whichinclude all such embodiments and modifications when viewed inconjunction with the above specification and accompanying drawings. Thescope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not withreference to the above description, but instead should be determinedwith reference to the appended claims along with their full scope ofequivalents.

What is claimed is:
 1. A smart headset comprising: a speaker configuredto generate output sounds based on received information received at thesmart headset; a microphone configured to generate microphone signals,based on input sounds, for forming transmission information transmittedfrom the smart headset; a cellular transceiver configured to wirelesslycommunicate with a cellular communication network; a Bluetoothtransceiver configured to wirelessly communicate with a smart handset;and a controller configured to place the smart headset in a selectedoperation mode of at least two modes comprising a first mode and asecond mode, the smart headset communicating through the cellulartransceiver with the cellular network when the smart headset in thefirst mode such that the received information is received from thecellular network through the cellular transceiver and the transmissioninformation is transmitted to the cellular network through the cellulartransceiver, the smart headset communicating through the Bluetoothtransceiver with the smart handset when the smart headset is in thesecond mode such that the received information is received from thesmart handset through the Bluetooth transceiver and the transmissioninformation is transmitted to the smart handset through the Bluetoothtransceiver, the controller configured to place the headset in the firstmode when the smart handset is determined to be farther than a maximumproximity from the smart headset and configured to place the headset inthe second mode when the smart handset is determined to be within themaximum proximity to the smart headset.
 2. The smart headset of claim 1,wherein the controller is configured to determine whether the smarthandset is within the maximum proximity based on short-range signalstransmitted by the smart handset.
 3. The smart headset of claim 2,wherein the short-range signals are Bluetooth signals.
 4. The smartheadset of claim 1, further comprising a speech processor acceleratorconfigured to convert received text information of the receivedinformation to speech forming the output sounds and configured toconvert the microphone signals to transmission text information formingthe transmission information.
 5. The smart headset of claim 1, whereinthe controller is configured to place the smart headset in the firstmode and the second mode based on an instruction received form thecellular communication network.
 6. The smart headset of claim 1, whereinthe Bluetooth transceiver is further configured to receive a linkquality request message from the smart handset requesting the smartheadset to confirm a quality of the second communication path.
 7. Thesmart headset of claim 6, wherein the cellular transceiver is furtherconfigured to transmit a transmission to the cellular communicationnetwork in response to the link quality request message.
 8. A methodcomprising: pairing a smart headset with a smart handset, the smartheadset comprising a cellular transceiver and a Bluetooth transceiver;detecting, by one of the smart headset and the smart handset, whetherthe smart headset is within a maximum proximity of the smart handsetdevice; and operating the smart headset a first mode when the smartheadset is not within a maximum proximity of the smart handset, thefirst mode comprising the smart headset communicating through thecellular transceiver with a cellular network; operating the smartheadset in the second mode when the smart headset is within the maximumproximity of the smart handset, the second mode comprising the smartheadset communicating through the Bluetooth transceiver with the smarthandset.
 9. The method of claim 8, further comprising: switching fromthe first mode to the second mode when the proximity changes from beingoutside the maximum proximity to within the maximum proximity.
 10. Themethod of claim 8, further comprising: switching from the second mode tothe first mode when the proximity changes from being within the maximumproximity to outside the maximum proximity.
 11. The method of claim 8,further comprising: transmitting, by one of the smart handset and thesmart handset, a notification that identifying the mode being used bythe smart headset; routing traffic from the cellular communicationnetwork to the smart headset when the smart headset is in the firstmode; and routing traffic from the cellular communication network to thesmart handset when the smart headset is in the second mode.